Horizontal refrigerant compressor cooler



March 22, 1966 J. H. ANDERSON 3,242,359

HORIZONTAL REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR COOLER Filed Nov. 17, 1961 INVENTOR.

JAMES h. ANDERSON United States Patent Ofiice 3,242,359 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 i 3,242,359 1 HORIZONTAL REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR I COOLER I .v v James H. Anderson, Spring Garden Township, York County, Pa, assignor to Borg-Warner. Corporation, Chicago, IlL, a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 153,094 4 Claims. (Cl. 310-52) This invention relates to horizontal hermetic refrigerant compressors and more particularly to an apparatus for insuring the dispersion of liquid refrigerant that may collect on the bottom of the compressor housing.

Ordinarily, in a horizontal hermetic refrigerant compressor (wherein the compressing means and its attached electric motor are both enclosed in a hermetic housing), refrigerant gas entering the machine (flows through and between the motor windings en route to the compressor cylinder, which flow serves to cool the motor windings. Often-times, under certain conditions of operation, the refrigerant gas entering the machine tends to condense prior to its reaching the compressor cylinder; in other instances, liquid refrigerant enters the machine. In both cases, this refrigerant has the tendency to collect on the bottom of the housing, inundating the motor windings. Applicant has discovered that the refrigerant has a tendency to attack the covering of the windings with a consequent 'failure of the motor.

An object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a means for scavenging any refrigerant liquid which may collect in the housing of a horizontal hermetic refrigerant compressor.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a horizontal hermetic refrigerant compressor, means tor increasing the velocity of flow of refrigerant gas through that portion of the housing containing the motor to insure the entrainment of any liquid refrigerant found therein with the gas flowing thereth-rough.

In carrying out the invention, the motor for operating the compressor is encased within a so-called can. Provision is m-ade for the flow of refrigerant gas between the housing and can in which the motor is encased. Rather than having a straight flow-through passage, a plurality of helical passages is provided in the housing, so that a flow of refrigerant gas takes place within these helical passages. The passages are defined by a plurality of helical rib-s. The pitch of the helices is made sulficiently small .for many of the helices around the periphery of the housing to pass through the bottom thereof. Therefore, when refrigerant liquid collects on the bottom of the housing, it will block the passage of refrigerant gas through these helical passages. Those iew helical passages which do not pass through the bottom of the housing will not be able to pass all the refrigerant gas pumped by the compressor. This then has the tendency to build up the pressure and velocity of the refrigerant gas to a value sufficient to force the liquid refrigerant from the bottom of the housing by the passage of the refrigerant gas through the various helical passages.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements and devices to 'be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out the abovestated objects and such other objects as will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a compressor, according to the invention, with the end plate removed in order to better show the motor mounted therein; and

FIG. 2 is 'a view similar to FIG. 1 with the motor, however, being removed and showing the helical passages for the passage of refrigerant gas.

Like numerals refer to like parts in both views.

Turning now to the drawings, a horizontal hermetic refrigerant compressor 10 comprises a motor mounting portion 11 and a compressor portion 12. Details of the compressor per se are not shown since they are unimportant to the invention. A motor 1-3 is mounted in the portion '11 of the housing, and is completely encased in a can" 14. A series of eight helical passages 15 (not all of which are shown) is provided for the flow of refrigerant gas through the motor portion of the housing into the compressor cylinder (not shown).

Passages =15 are formed by a plurality of helical ribs 16 formed on the inner surface of housing portion 11. The various ribs 16 terminate in pads 17, which are adapted to receive and arrest the movement of the canned motor within the housing.

From an inspection of FIG. 2, it will be apparent that a great majority of the passages 16, due to the convolutions of the ribs 16, pass through the bottom of the housing. For example, should liquid refrigerant lie at a level 18 within the housing, then flow would be blocked through at least filve of the six passages shown in FIG. 2. The passages shown all have a portion of their total length passing through the bottom of the housing, as can be clearly seen from an inspection of FIG. 2. This represents five passages out of a total of eight. From this, it may be seen that, should liquid refrigerant collect to the level shown, then the three passages which are not blocked by the liquid refrigerant would be of insuflicient capacity to pass the volume of gas pumped by the compressor. This would build up pressure sufii'ciently for a flow of gas to take place through the blocked passages, blowing ou the refrigerant contained therein. It will be obvious that if passages '15 were straight-through rather than helical, possibly only two or three passages would have been blocked. The resultant five or six open passages would have had suflicient capacity to pass the refrigerant gas therethrough, allowing the refrigerant to remain in the bottom of the housing to the detriment of the motor windings.

I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, except only insofar as the claims may be so limited, as it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a horizontal hermetic refrigerant compressor, a hon-sing including a motor mounting portion, an enclosed motor mounted in the motor mounting portion of said housing, and a plurality of rib means spacing said enclosed motor from said housing and providing a plurality of passages therebetween for refrigerant gas, said rib means taking the form of internal helical threads providing a plurality of helical flow paths for said refrigerant.

2. In a horizontal compressor as set out in claim 1, stop means for limiting the insertion of said motor in said housing.

3. In a horizontal hermetic refrigerant compressor, a housing including a motor mounting portion, an enclosed motor mounted in the motor mounting portion of said housing, and a plurality of rib means spacing said enclosed motor from said housing and providing a plurality oi passages therebetween for refrigerant gas, said rib means taking the form of internal helical threads providing a plurality of helical ilow paths for said refrigerant, the pitch of said helical threads being sufiiciently snrall tor a plurality of the passages defined by said helical threads to intersect the bottom of the housing.

3 4 4. In a horizontal hermetic refrigerant compressor, a References Cited by the Examiner housing including a motor mounting portion, an enclosed UNITED STATES PATENTS motor mounted in the motor mounting portion of said housing, and a \plurality of rib means spacing said en- 2,247,950 7/1941 Kucher 62 505 closed motor from said housing and providing a plurality 5 2,249,882 7/1941 Buchanan 62 505 of passages therebetween for refrigerant ga s, said rib 2,693,347 11/1954 Rheaume 165-156 means taking the form of internal helical threads prov-id- 3,106,334 10/1963 Fogelman ct ing a plurality of helical flow paths for said refrigerant, and 'a stop member at the terminal end of said rib means JAMES WESTHAVER Pnmary Exammer' for limiting the insertion of said motor in said housing. 10 CHARLES SUKALO, Examiner. 

1. IN A HORIZONTAL HERMETIC REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR, A HOUSING INCLUDING A MOTOR MOUNTING PORTION, AN ENCLOSED MOTOR MOUNTED IN THE MOTOR MOUNTING PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, AND A PLURALITY OF RIB MEANS SPACING SAID ENCLOSED MOTOR FROM SAID HOUSING AND PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF PASSAGES THEREBETWEEN FOR REFRIGERANT GAS, SAID RIB MEANS TAKING THE FORM OF INTERNAL HELICAL THREADS PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF HELICAL FLOW PATHS FOR SAID REFRIGERANT. 